What can be gleaned from Panthers’ offense, Bryce Young in big win vs. Falcons?
The Carolina Panthers are basking in the glow of a 30-0 blowout win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3.
But as Week 4 gets underway, Panthers fans are understandably curious about the weeks ahead. That’s why The Observer has brought back the weekly Panthers mailbag to answer the questions from the Carolina faithful.
Offense still lame?
JC on X asks: The offense, IMO (in my opinion), still wasn’t good, at least in comparison to the 2nd half of last year. Is this something to continue to be concerned about? Line blocked well and the running game was better, but overall, just still felt bad.
When a team is on a pure heater on special teams and defense, there’s little incentive to open up the offense and risk potential momentum swings and turnovers. Why expose parts of the playbook when it’s not necessary?
I disagree with the assessment that the offense “wasn’t good.” The group certainly wasn’t prolific, and really, it didn’t need to be.
If you’re going to compare the group to the second half of last year, it’s important to remember that the defense was giving up 20 or more points in each of the final nine games. The offense, quite literally, had to put up big numbers to compete. Those games were largely shootouts in wins and catch-up sprints in losses.
The opening script for the Week 3 win led to a touchdown scramble by quarterback Bryce Young. It was one of the more impressive play-calling sequences of the Dave Canales era. The blocking scheme featured several creative wrinkles and married up well with Canales’ use of pre-snap motion, which helped with the running game and play-action usage.
Everything made sense and was in rhythm. There were hiccups, especially in the passing game, but overall, it was a fine outing, and that’s all they needed in a 30-point blowout.
The offense put up 23 points against Atlanta. During the final nine games of last season, the group averaged 24.1 points per game.
So, just a smidge off, but again, that was fine.
Game-management lessons
Edmund on Bluesky asks: How concerned are you, if at all, with Bryce Young’s numbers in a shutout win? And should we start to view Bryce more as a ‘Game Manager’?
I’m not concerned at all about the Week 3 performance. Young did his job against the Falcons.
The quarterback threw for 121 yards on a 66.7% completion clip. According to Pro Football Focus, Young’s receivers were credited with three drops (a subjective stat) on Sunday.
The NFL is a “what have you done lately” league, and so each performance is measured for an entire week at a time. But in the first two weeks of the season, with the team trailing by multiple scores, Young averaged 45 tosses per game. That’s not very game manager-like in this beat writer’s opinion.
Good quarterback play is typically dictated by game situations.
For instance, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts averages 25.7 throws per game and 159.7 passing yards per game (6.1 yards per attempt) and his team is 3-0. Yes, he is using his legs A LOT, but the play-calling is dictated by circumstance. If it’s a blowout, the running backs are taking over the ground game, and Hurts is “managing” the moments in between.
Could (and should) Young be better than what he offered in Week 3? Absolutely. Should he be deemed a game manager after one of the more unusual games in recent Panthers lore? No.
The Panthers haven’t played a normal game this season. Let things even out and then we will go back to the moniker well.
Triple-dipping on roster move inquiries
Cason on X (formerly known as Twitter) asks: Does the muffed punt by Trevor Etienne increase the chances of Jimmy Horn being activated for the first time this season? Do you think Christian Rozeboom and Trevin Wallace will finish the season as the starting backers? Will a (trade) at the deadline occur?
Cason stacked the deck with three questions in one shot. The Panthers are coming off their first win of the season, so we’ll allow it, especially because each question represents feedback received in the aftermath of the game from multiple readers.
As far as the Etienne’s muffed punt is concerned, it’s worth noting that wideout David Moore took on the duties immediately afterward. He’s often used as a “safe” returner when opposing teams punt deep into Panthers territory. Moore’s typical job is to field the ball with his receiving skills after calling a fair catch. This prevents potential lost yards or fumbles near the Panthers’ end zone.
Horn Jr. has dynamic speed and was a returner in college. However, it’s worth wondering if the team trusts him to field the ball at the NFL level, as he’s been a healthy scratch during the first three weeks of the season. Perhaps, he could be a specialized returner when opposing teams are backed up in their own territory. But that would seem like a novelty approach at this point in the season for a 1-2 team.
The Panthers chose to keep Dalevon Campbell active over Horn in Week 3. Campbell was used on punt coverage as a gunner, and he looked terrific in that role. Etienne, whether he’s a punt returner or not, will take up a game-day roster spot regardless, as he is the team’s third running back and one of two primary kick returners (different skill set than punt returning). So, Horn’s opportunity for activation seems muddled at best — justified or not.
Regarding the linebacker room, Wallace actually had a standout performance in Week 3. In arguably his best game as a pro, the second-year linebacker was aggressive and smart as a blitzer, run stopper and coverage man. He finished with four tackles (one for loss), but his impact was felt beyond the box score. He’s trending upward after a brutal Week 1 performance.
Rozeboom, though, is worth monitoring. He’s looked somewhat overmatched as the signal-caller in the middle of the defense. He’s not the athlete Wallace is, and he’s not standing out as a tackler on a regular basis. He played every snap on defense against the Falcons, and in a game with a lot of standout plays, it’s hard to recall him making much of a physical impact, even as Wallace thrived next him. Rozeboom, though, knows the defense, and that’s likely to be coveted by defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who has a relatively intricate system.
Teams don’t typically plug and play defenders midseason at middle linebacker because they are the biggest communicators on defense. Still, if there were to be an addition at the trade deadline, linebacker would make sense. The team lacks proven depth at the position, and it’s a spot that typically deals with injuries. It’s too early to decipher who a potential target might be, but going through the standings, it’s easy to note there are six 0-3 teams heading into Week 4.
Those struggling squads might be the best bets for midseason swaps.
Linebacker logistics
Rob via email asks: Given the state of our linebacker room and Josey Jewell’s abrupt departure, should the front office figure out a way to bring Shaq (Thompson) back on a deal similar to what the Bills got him for? He balled out on Thursday night (in Week 3).
Thompson did have a nice showing against the Miami Dolphins last week. It’s nice to see him back on the field following two injury riddled campaigns in Carolina.
But it’s also worth noting that he didn’t play in Week 2 (due to hand and hamstring injuries), and he was used as a primary backup for the Bills in Week 1 and Week 3. The national audience got to see him shine on Thursday Night Football, but the context is that he’s simply a role player in Buffalo. And that’s fine, because there isn’t much risk for the Bills with that role. He’s not being overexposed, which should keep him relatively productive and healthy.
The Panthers have typically leaned on their two starting inside linebackers to play heavy snaps under Evero. They don’t really rotate players into that position unless there are injuries, so Thompson’s role in Buffalo wouldn’t be mimicked on Mint Street.
Thompson could have been insurance for Jewell, who was dealing with concussion symptoms, but the former first-round pick was coming off his own injury woes. He played in just six games over the past two years due to a broken fibula and a torn Achilles in back-to-back seasons.
That doesn’t sound like a trustworthy insurance policy, especially as Thompson turned 31 in April.
Should the Panthers have been so transparent about their desire for a fresh start in February? Maybe not, but it’s not like teams were banging down the door to sign Thompson in March. He didn’t sign with the Bills until June.
Panthers fans love Thompson, but it’s hard to blame Carolina for passing on a reunion. It is, however, worth criticizing their lack of depth collection following the decision to part ways with Jewell as he dealt with his concussion issues.
The Panthers largely sat still this offseason at linebacker. They signed Rozeboom in free agency, but they didn’t do a whole lot else at the position. If the draft board had shaken up differently, perhaps the group looks a bit better and different. But in earnest, the depth chart looks underwhelming right now.
That’s a dropped ball for the brass in this beat writer’s opinion.
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
